Behchoko man sentenced to 18 months for alcohol-fuelled home invasion

A man from Behchoko, N.W.T.,who committed an alcohol-fuelled home invasion in February 2016 was sentenced to 18 months in jail on Tuesday.

In February of this year,Jacob Smith-Lafferty, 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of break and enter with intent to commit a crime.

• N.W.T. prosecutor calls for 2-year sentence for violent, alcohol-fuelled home invasion

Smith-Lafferty and another man were drunk when they broke down the front door ofa Behchoko home at 5 a.m., looking for more alcohol. They dragged a man out of bed and assaulted him leaving the resident with a bloody lip, a bloody nose and a bruised head.

I hope this is a turning point in your life.- Justice AndrewMahar

"I struggled with determining how much time to give," said Justice Andrew Mahar during the sentencing hearing in the Supreme Court of the N.W.T. He said he considered Smith-Lafferty's "genuine degree of remorse" and his status as an Indigenous man when making the decision.

Along with his jail sentence,Smith-Laffertymust pay $800 in restitution for the broken door and a TV that was damaged during the invasion. He also has to pay a$200 victim surcharge within two years, and will be on probationfor three years.

Mahardidn't include a condition that stipulated a particular community he must live in, taking into accountSmith-Lafferty'stwo children, who currently live in Alberta.

Smith-Laffertywill be considered for early release if he takes an alcohol treatment program, or for temporary release if he finds a job. When released, he must abstain from drinking alcohol and cannot possess it.

"I hope this is a turning point in your life," Mahar said to Smith-Lafferty.

• Read more stories from CBC North